Tuesday, March 5, 2013

PHOTO: Havana Post Editorial Cartoon (December, 1937)

This editorial cartoon appeared in the Havana Post on December 18, 1937. As you can see, it criticizes North American bowl games for being too commercial, with the players being exploited by colleges for large paydays. By contrast, the exhibition game played by Auburn and Villanova in Havana on New Year's Day of 1937 and the game planned between Rollins College and the Cuban Navy for January 1, 1938, were more in keeping with the amateur ideal.

Next time you come across a sportswriter's condemnation of the money involved or the exploitive nature of the bowl system, remember similar arguments have been around as long as bowl games existed (even in a transnational context).